SHEET METAL MEMBER SHAPE FORMING SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A sheet metal member shape-forming system and method includes a mold consisting of a sealing die defining therein a sealing cavity and an air hole and a shape-forming die defining therein a shape-forming cavity, a compressed gas guided through the air hole into the sealing cavity, a sheet metal member placed on the shape-forming die that is pre-heated in an out-mold heating zone prior to deliver to the molding zone, a lift unit controlled to move the shape-forming die and the sheet metal member to the sealing die and to impart an upward pressure on the shape-forming die against the sheet metal member and the sealing die during continuous supply of the compressed gas into the sealing die cavity to compress the sheet metal member against the upward pressure, enabling the sheet metal member to be rapidly compression-molded into a shaped metal component.

主权项

1. A sheet metal member shape forming system, comprising:
a molding zone having installed therein a mold consisting of a sealing die and a shape-forming die, said sealing die defining therein a sealing cavity at least one air hole, said shape-forming die defining therein a shape-forming cavity, said shape-forming die being movable in and out of said molding zone and defined to be a working zone when entering said molding zone; at least one heater arranged around said mold and adapted for heating said mold to have said sealing die provide a predetermined working temperature; an out-mold heating zone having installed therein a standby die and an out-mold heater, said out-mold heater being adapted for heating said standby die to have said standby die provide an out-mold temperature; at least one material transfer unit adapted for transferring said standby die from said out-mold heating zone to said molding zone to allow said stand mold to become said working die; a material feeding unit adapted for feeding a sheet metal member onto a top side of said standby die outside said out-mold heating zone for enabling said sheet metal member to be moved with said standby die to said molding zone; a fluid/gas flow supply source connected to said at least one air hole of said sealing die and adapted for providing a high-pressure fluid/gas flow into said sealing cavity to impart a fluid/gas flow pressure on said sheet metal member; and a control unit connected to said heater, said out-mold heater, said material transfer unit, said material feeding unit and said fluid/gas flow supply source for controlling their operations.